A scalable broadband plasmonic cuprous telluride nanowire-based hybrid photothermal membrane for efficient solar vapor generation

Solar vapor generation utilizes ubiquitous solar energy to address the issue of global water shortage. However, its large-scale field deployment is greatly hampered by inefficient solar absorption, moderate evaporation efficiency and high cost. Here, we report a new hybrid photothermal membrane, named broadband plasmonic Cu 2−x Te nanowire (bpCu 2−x Te) membrane, for interfacial solar evaporation to produce freshwater from various water sources. The bpCu 2−x Te membrane features excellent broadband solar absorption (~95.9%), high porosity and hydrophilicity , and low thermal conductivity (0.55 W/(m K)), which enables a water evaporation rate as high as 4.3 kg/(m 2 h) with the evaporation efficiency of up to 96% under 3 kW/m 2 solar irradiation . The evaporation performance of the present Cu 2−x Te membrane can be maintained even after it recycles multiple times under various solar irradiance, indicating excellent durability and stability. Efficient solar desalination of seawater is further demonstrated with the bpCu 2−x Te membrane to deliver drinkable water. The combination of scalable fabrication ability, low cost and excellent solar evaporation performance of the bpCu 2−x Te membrane highlights the potential for seawater purification and desalination in field applications.